CHAPTER 41 - Spiritual Prayers

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On the Calendar room and marking the exact date and time on Eden's watch and sights, it is now Halloween and All Saints Day at the time, and Eden and her group are celebrating and giving respect and prayers for the dearly departed and the passing dead for these holidays and so on in Z-city.

It is obvious that the six children were all having fun during the holidays, and it seemed that they also enjoyed the 'Haunted House' room that the other adults have set up and made for them, as they were faint screams and cries from inside once they got in, led by Talia and Eden, and after that, they came out with only little Annie clutching tightly to Eden's neck, shivering with fright as Eden held her tenderly in her arms with a smile, and little Nisha was crying and sobbing uncontrollably against Talia as she comforts her. The four little boys didn't seem frightened or scared when they got into the haunted room, and they seemed to be smiling or grinning widely like they were all proud of themselves for being brave. And it looks like the boys are also polite enough to not tease the two girls from being scared by the haunting room.

Next, they move on to the Halloween party, as they gather for a grand meal together, and Eden just watched the children who moved their attention to the delicious spread as well as smiled delightedly at the sight of pumpkins that have been carved and decorated as Jack-O-Lanterns with various smiling faces, lit up with candles inside them.

Once Halloween day has been celebrated through and finished, the second time, that is the first day of the new month, they gathered together to pray and respect the memories of the dead and the departed ones, in honor of celebrating All Saints' Day at that very time. They went through the whole day of that second celebration time, honoring the dead as well as giving prayers and respecting the memories of their dearly departed ones. After that, they gathered together in fasting meals in honor of that day, before they all settle in finally for bed and rest for another new day for that new month.

Once the new and second day has arrived and come for the first week of the new month, Eden marked it down on the Calendar room and then went to check on the others and found them going through whatever routine they were doing in Safe Haven as usual, but it looks like there are other various things that they need to prepare and be ready for the new month in which they will be dealing with these matters and do them before the time comes.

Eden watched silently for a moment as they did the chores or other tasks that they were doing in Safe Haven before she went upstairs to the rooftop to take over the watch-guard duties for the whole night that very day. She nodded to Sahara and Daiyu upon seeing them had taken over the watch posts during the day and then she turned to Ryu as he did his daily exercises and self-training for improving his fighting skills and techniques, and Eden didn't realize that she focused on watching him first before Sahara got her attention that it's now her turn to take over the watch duties for the night shift.

Eden blinked as she snapped out of it and she held back her embarrassed blush upon realizing that she was watching Ryu as he trained himself with martial-arts movements as well as wielding his favored katana sword. Eden looked at Sahara and Daiyu again as the two of them left and went downstairs and then she nodded in appreciation and gratitude to Sahara when she promised that she'll bring dinner up for her as she'll be staying on the rooftop for the whole night.

It looks like Eden doesn't mind that Ryu will be staying there longer on the rooftop with her as she takes over the watch post for the entire night by then. And it seemed the same for Ryu as he continued silently practicing and improving more on his martial arts and fighting skills before it was time for him to go down and rest for another day.

By then, the time has passed for a few hours as it's now nighttime and Eden doesn't seem to be bored at all, despite the silence between her and Ryu all alone on the rooftop, with her on the watch posts and the man still doing his training routine. It almost seemed a lot longer as the time flies by until Sahara returned, as promised, bringing dinner for Eden and for Ryu too. After she had done that, she went downstairs to join the others in their dinner gathering and Ryu stopped training to eat his dinner but Eden didn't leave her post as she stayed there on her seat and ate her share.

It wasn't long until Ryu decided to stop and finish his training, and went downstairs with the empty plates after finishing dinner. Now Eden is all on her own alone on the rooftop and she seemed to be appreciating the silence for the moment as she continued watching through the scope and looking out for anything lurking or hidden in Z-city, to keep them all safe in Safe Haven. That was until a few minutes later, she reached to grab for the journal she had brought with her and went on writing another new entry into it when nothing else has happened or stirred upon her watch and decided to write on her journal she took with her for this time.

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JOURNAL ENTRY: DAYS UNKNOWN, THE 10TH MONTH OCTOBER AND 11TH MONTH NOVEMBER, YEAR 2XXX

Hey, it's Eden again.

It's about the next day after the two days, my group and I celebrated the holidays of October and November, that is Halloween and All Saints' day. As well as honoring and respecting the dead and our departed loved ones in memory upon prayers, everything went through without any problems and such, during that time upon celebrating and partying over it.

Right now, it's the second day actually of the new month after the previous holidays, and so far, our routine here in Safe Haven is about to continue or go on as usual, with its peace and everything, but I know better than to not let my guard down over it.

First things first, on the very day of Halloween, we celebrated it with a grand meal, and the children enjoyed going through the Haunted room with a few of us disguising and dressed up as scary monsters, and only frightened little Annie and Nisha from it as Talia and I led the children inside and went through it until finished and came out of the room. I was a little amused that the boys had been brave throughout the haunting in that decorated room, but I knew better than that Michael and Haru were a bit scared but hid it inside themselves so that they won't be teased by their friend Natu. I comforted Annie while Talia did the same for Nisha after we came out of the room they were crying and shivering with fright, a little traumatized from the experience of the haunting room, but it didn't take long for them to relax and be relieved by our reassurances that it wasn't real and then we led the children gently to play some games while our dressed-up friends cleaned themselves up from the make-up and remove their Halloween costumes.

After that, we got our grand meal to celebrate Halloween and then the second day came that we held a fasting and everything, as well as giving prayers and respect in honor and memory for the dead and the souls of our departed loved ones, in celebration for All Saints' Day at the time. After that day was finished and over with, we all rested for another day, happy and content from the holidays.

And now it's the new month of November, and the routine is going on as usual, except with new changes of the incoming winter season, as I started feeling the cold drafts or frosty-cold weather that's coming through and into Z-city at the time. It is the same just as last year when I experienced this before the previous winter season, but the difference this time this year, is that I'm not alone anymore and I have my group that I need to take care of and makeup plans and preparations for the coming winter season by then.

It won't be that hard to quickly prepare, make plans, as well as get the necessary supplies ready when the time comes as the winter season blows through here or something when it does. But I knew that we need to keep our guard up for any possible threats or dangers that might come at us during the winter season, for I have known and experienced through the last time in this kind of cold weather and season that no dangers don't ever hibernate or sleep during that time, even all the dangerous types of zombies lurking about in Z-city.

It's still true with the fact that cold can slow the Beta-Z and Omega-Z types of zombies, and the Alpha-Z are the only kinds we need to watch out for, during the winter season. But I'm making sure that our guard doesn't go down because of that, and there's always the possibility that the other type of zombies might start mutating more and evolve from their weaknesses, just as I have seen these kinds happening, mostly with the Alpha-Z than the others.

I'm hoping and praying that those kinds of theories won't happen during this time of the year and for the incoming cold winter season. And hopefully, it won't ever come to that while we're preparing and getting ready before the cold weather sets into Z-city. So on the next time for the next new journal entry, it will be about what plans and preparations we're making and going to do for the incoming cold season and everything, and how we'll be able to survive through it until the next new year.

Until then, this is Eden signing off.

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After Eden finished writing the new entry, she put away and hid her journal on her person and then resumed her post on the watch-guard duties for the whole night she's taking over and staying awake and alert.

By then, Eden was silent for the moment as the time passed on and she was all alone on the rooftop for the others in the group have already settled themselves into bed and gone to sleep and rest for another day and so on.

Just as she was there by herself, looking deeply thoughtful like she's thinking of the plans she's making up or conjuring any ideas for the preparations of the incoming winter season, Eden nearly jumped when she somehow heard or sense something approaching and she turned around to confront it, almost drawing her sharp knife out as a weapon against it, but then she relaxed when she saw it's only her loyal dog Luna who came up to be with her master as it didn't look phased upon the human suddenly brandishing a weapon in front of it and looked relaxed and composed.

Eden smiled and gestured Luna to come closer and it did with a happy little bark and settled itself comfortably, lying down on the ground next to her feet and gently laying its head over its paws but its eyes and ears flicker about and move around like Luna is going to stay awake and alert as well, standing guard the same as its human master. Eden patted it gently on Luna's head and turned her attention back to her post as watch-guard and lookout, looking through the telescope and having her sniper rifle gun ready by her side in case any danger or threat comes to Safe Haven.

Even though there was still nothing, Eden didn't let down her guard as she kept watching through the scope, staying awake, and also thinking inside her head like she was wondering in her mind what was in store for her and her group in the future and so on. It looks like only time will tell when it does come or something happens when it does or not.

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